One point to which the author alludes needs to be expanded upon: Pocahontas/Rebecca's conversion to Christianity. This is a Faith which emphasizes a crucial truth about human nature: that we are being endowed with intelligence and free will, and we each face a struggle, a challenge, to become the people we were created to be: wise, just, benevolent, turthful, courageous, learning-oriented, able to reason with others and be reasoned-with by others.
The short way to say this is: Created in the image and likeness of God.
The right-reason propounded by the Christian faith was undoubtedly one of the things that attracted this excellent woman to embrace it, and encouraged her ability to live it.
awesome
I don’t our family ever considers any Walt Disney stories to be ‘real’. We tell our girls they are ‘movies’ which tell A story, but never the Truth.
Pocahontas was a big celebrity in England. Everyone wanted to meet her.
August 1610 my gx9 grandmother, at age 10, arrived at the Jamestown settlement. Actual family history is also better than fabrications, skeletons and all.
Thank you, Seek and Find. Another wrinkle to this story is how Pocahontas is related to the Woodsons. One of her son’s descendants (there were 12) married into the Woodson family of VA. Woodson descendents are known as Red Woodsons in contrast to the other branches of the family known as White Woodsons. One of the Woodson children survived an Indian attack by hiding in the family root cellar in the potato bin. He was the only member of his family to survive the attack and was thereafter known as “Potato Hole Woodson”, a nickname he wore proudly for the rest of his life. I don’t remember if he was a Red Woodson, or a White Woodson.
Pocahontas -- a portrait done during her visit to England. She died at 22.
Thanks for posting this item.
My waaaaaaay back grandparents were killed in the massacre at old Jamestown, led by Powhaten’s brother (Pocahontas’ uncle), wherein around 400 of the Virginia colonists died.
The man was the first of my surname to arrive in the colonies from England. Only their toddler son, about 2 years old, survived and is thought to have been raised by his maternal grandparents. Without him, my paternal line would not exist..... and neither would I.
The true story of Pocahontas might be fascinating, but the real history of Jamestown that isn’t taught today is that it was basically a colony based on socialist/communist principles. This was established and agreed upon by the group before they ever left England.
Upon arriving at the New World, a lot of their hardships and famine was self inflicted. Each was to work to provide for the general good, or general stores, and were to receive from the general stores what their needs were. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need”... sound familiar?
As is usual in socialism or communism, people have a problem slaving away, toiling long hours and generally working their butts off when they see the next door neighbor sitting back, taking it easy and drawing from the general stores the same as the hard working ones. It doesn’t take long for a rational person to wonder why should they work like crazy just so the lazy guy next door can sit back and enjoy things, getting the same from the stores as the hard workers.
Basically, it’s easier to be lazy and steal than it is to work hard and be productive. Just take a look at our welfare state today. Why work when the gubmint will give you all you need?
So, after several winter/years of severe hardship and famine, Bradford and the settlers needed to find a better way... or die. Thus, Bradford, as governor, parceled out the land to each family for them to do what they wanted with— and reap the fruits of their labors on it for themselves. Free- enterprise or laissez faire. Private property, trade free from government intervention.
That year the colony had greater stores than ever before and started to prosper dramatically. What did Bradford write about this amazing change?
“This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content.”
Under the previous plan, communism, Bradford wrote:
“The strong had no more in division of victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice . Upon all being to have alike, and all to do alike, they thought one as good as another, and so did work diminish the mutual respects that should be preserved amongst men.”
This is actually the real story that should be written and glorified and taught to our schoolchildren. Pocahontas is a nice story, but the real principle underlying Jamestown is that communism will not work. It has never worked, even with men of the strongest, most upright moral character, such as the Pilgrims in Jamestown. And it will never work in the future, as long as the human race is alive. I’m sure it doesn’t even work in the animal kingdom anywhere.
But Liberals will never get it through their heads. They think that if only they’re given enough money and power that they can make socialism/communism work. They will forever fail, yet will inflict the population with the results of their stupidity and ignorance of history while doing so, until their ultimate - and guaranteed - failure.
Forget Pocahontas. I want Gov. Bradford’s diaries taught in schools. They should be required reading for every grade. No child should graduate without knowing the true history of Jamestown and why it almost died... and why it subsequently prospered.